The present invention relates to an electrical connector and a method of producing the electrical connector and, more specifically, relates to an electrical connector wherein active-line type contacts are overmolded, and further relates to a method of producing the electrical connector.
As the electrical connector of this type, JP-Y (Japanese Utility Model Registration) 2605904 discloses a conventional electrical connector.
The conventional electrical connector includes an insulator having a plate-like projecting portion, contacts arrayed side by side on the lower side of the projecting portion of the insulator, and a metal shell covering the circumference thereof.
Each contact has a mounting terminal portion, at one end thereof, which is joined to a board upon mounting, a retention portion retained by the insulator, a contact portion extending forward from the retention portion along the lower side of the projecting portion of the insulator, and a tip portion that is bent upward toward the inside of the projecting portion of the insulator at the front end of the contact. This connector is of the type wherein the arrayed contacts are overmolded, and the shell is provided over the circumference thereof.
A counterpart connector contains an insulator provided with a projecting portion, and contacts retained by the insulator. The projecting portion of the insulator has a front end surface formed with an opening, and a through hole is formed so as to extend backward from this opening to thereby define a contact receiving space. Each of the counterpart contacts is bifurcated so as to have a first contact portion and a second contact portion each extending up to the opening. The first contact portion has a portion projecting toward the second contact portion to thereby form a contact-point portion.
When the electrical connector and the counterpart connector are fitted together, the projecting portion of the electrical connector is sandwiched between the first and second contact portions of the contacts provided in the contact receiving space of the projecting portion of the counterpart connector so that the contact portion of each contact of the electrical connector and the contact-point portion of the first contact portion of the corresponding contact of the counterpart connector are brought into contact with each other to thereby establish electrical connection therebetween.
In the production of the conventional electrical connector, however, when overmolding the contacts with resin to produce the electrical connector, it was necessary to take a countermeasure against deflection of the contacts caused by the flow of resin upon molding.
Under the circumstances, with respect to the conventional electrical connector, a method is proposed for taking the deflection countermeasure which contains the step of providing a carrier on the fitting side of the contacts. However, inasmuch as a cutting surface of the carrier is exposed from the fitting portion, a drawback remains that short circuits between the adjacent contacts occur upon fitting to the counterpart connector.
Further, in the conventional electrical connector, since the contact portion of each contact has a contacting surface, which contacts the first contact portion of the counterpart contact, on only one side thereof, when a large force is applied in a direction where the contact moves away from the first contact portion, it may happen that the peripheral components are deflected to cause separation of the first contact portion of the contact of the counterpart connector and the contact portion of the contact of the electrical connector from each other, thus resulting in occurrence of disconnection.